Lin Mo's tone grew somewhat distant, tinged with the teasing of someone who had been there before.
"Some truly powerful people live long lives and possess world-shaking strength."
"It's quite common for them to have several female confidantes at once. It's nothing unusual."
"Customs differ among the civilizations of different star systems. For some powerful people, a harem of three thousand beauties is perfectly normal."
"And here you are, settling on your lifelong partner so early, right here on Earth. Isn't your outlook... a little narrow?"
Lin Mo's voice was full of temptation:
"Besides, a real man hesitating over something as trivial as smoking a cigarette..."
"You're not even married yet, and she already has you on such a tight leash. Your standing... doesn't look good."
"Why don't I teach you a few tricks to raise your standing? I guarantee you'll-"
"Teacher!"
Luo Feng hurriedly interrupted Lin Mo's increasingly outlandish instruction in his mind.
He kept smiling at his teammates, but his ears were growing warm.
He felt even more embarrassed.
He hadn't expected Lin Mo to suddenly steer the conversation in this direction, much less speak so bluntly.
"Your disciple... your disciple isn't doing it because of that."
Luo Feng hurriedly explained in his mind, his tone somewhat awkward, but more than that, firm.
"Your disciple simply doesn't like the smell of smoke, and I don't think it's good for the body."
"As for Xu Xin... your disciple is serious about her."
"No matter how vast the universe is or how many powerful people there are, what does that have to do with me?"
"Since I've chosen her, she's the only one in my heart. It has nothing to do with whether I'm afraid of being controlled or how high or low my standing is."
Luo Feng thought of the girl with the gentle smile and clear eyes, and his heart softened.
"From the first moment I saw her, I felt... she was all I could see."
Luo Feng's voice grew quieter in his mind, but it carried unmistakable sincerity.
"Tsk, a pure-love warrior?"
Lin Mo seemed momentarily at a loss for words at Luo Feng's blunt and steadfast declaration.
Then his tone returned to its usual flatness, touched with a hint of disdain.
"No ambition. Fine, fine."
"But come to think of it, if you like her, go after her. What's with all the dithering?"
"With my guidance, your future is limitless. Who wouldn't you be worthy of?"
"Go after her without holding back. With me here, would I let you suffer a loss?"
Hearing this, Luo Feng felt warmth in his heart.
He knew that although his teacher's words were sharp, he actually cared about and supported him.
But he keenly caught a hint of something odd in Lin Mo's words, as well as that suspicious pause earlier.
"Teacher..."
Luo Feng asked cautiously in his mind, with a touch of curiosity and a probing tone.
"You seem so experienced with this sort of thing."
"Could it be that you used to... also have many... um, female confidantes?"
An eerie silence suddenly descended over his sea of consciousness.
A few seconds later, Lin Mo's previously rather calm voice shot up, angry and stern.
"You little bastard! How dare you presume to speculate about your teacher?"
"Many female confidantes, you say? What sort of person do you take me for? You have no respect for your elders!"
Lin Mo sounded somewhat flustered and angry, with a hint of embarrassment that only made him sound more suspicious.
"No more wild guesses or smearing your teacher's good name."
Luo Feng immediately fell silent, though he was secretly amused.
It seemed his offhand question might have hit the mark.
Outside, Gao Feng, Chen Gu and the others saw Luo Feng politely decline the cigarette.
They merely smiled and didn't press him.
Gao Feng stubbed out the remaining half of his cigarette.
"It's a personal habit. I respect that. It's a good thing Luo Feng doesn't smoke."
"All right, enough idle chatter. Let's continue discussing the details of the route..."
The squad meeting continued, and Luo Feng gathered his thoughts and took part in the discussion in earnest.
When they came to Luo Feng's responsibilities, Gao Feng had previously assigned him to support the main force.
But Luo Feng wasn't very satisfied with the arrangement.
"Captain, my speed and reactions give me an advantage now."
Luo Feng looked at Gao Feng, his eyes clear and resolute.
"I want to take on more responsibility. I can try leading the frontal assault and breaking through at critical moments."
Gao Feng gave Luo Feng a long look but didn't answer immediately.
He recalled the sharp edge that had shown through Luo Feng's composure after he regained his strength.
A moment later, he nodded firmly.
"Good! Luo Feng, you'll take the lead!"
"But remember, don't rush in recklessly. The squad's safety comes first!"
"Understood!"
Luo Feng answered.
He knew the captain had entrusted him with the most dangerous and most important position.
It was a sign of trust, but also a test.
Chen Gu and the Wei Brothers had no objections either.
Everyone had seen Luo Feng's performance before his injury.
Now that his strength had returned, and he was even stronger than before, it made perfect sense for him to serve as the lead attacker.
Their eyes held only trust and anticipation.
"Everything's settled."
Gao Feng stood up and glanced at the sky outside.
"We're leaving now! We'll take the highway. It should take two days to reach the outskirts of City 003."
"Everyone, check your equipment one last time. Meet downstairs in five minutes!"
"Yes!"
Everyone answered at once, then quickly dispersed to make their final preparations.
Luo Feng checked his Blood Shadow Battle Blade, combat suit, and the necessities and first-aid supplies in his backpack once more.
Five minutes later, all the members of the Fire Hammer Squad had assembled downstairs.
Everyone was fully armed, the relaxed expressions on their faces already gone.
In their place were the sternness and vigilance of Fighters.
Gao Feng's gaze swept over each squad member, lingering briefly on Luo Feng.
Seeing the calm, resolute light in the young man's eyes, he felt his last trace of worry dissipate.
"Move out!"
Without another unnecessary word, the five-person squad shot forward like arrows loosed from a bow.
They left the small building that served as their temporary base swiftly and in an orderly fashion.
Passing through the crowd, the group reached the base's exit.
The heavy alloy gates slowly opened, revealing a deathly silent Wilderness Zone beyond.
"Hold formation and stay alert!"
And so, the group pressed onward toward City 003.
Most of the day passed, and the sun set.
Night deepened, and darkness swallowed the wilderness whole.
The squad switched on their tactical flashlights, their faint beams cutting through the thick darkness.
More rustling sounds began to emerge around them as nocturnal monsters stirred into action.
The Wilderness Zone was more dangerous late at night than during the day.
The Fire Hammer Squad traveled along the damaged highway for several hours.
According to the plan, they needed to find their first overnight stop before midnight.
"Turn left up ahead, get off the highway, and follow that abandoned county road for about five hundred meters."
Gao Feng lowered his voice as he spoke, studying the map on his Communication Watch.
His voice was especially clear in the silent night, and especially taut.
The squad quietly left the main road and turned onto a narrow asphalt path almost buried in wild grass.
Long-dead roadside trees lined both sides, their branches twisted like ghostly claws.
In the distance, the outlines of a few low buildings were faintly visible.
After going a little farther, Gao Feng stopped and fixed his flashlight beam on a spot not far ahead.
"This should be the place marked on the map."
Everyone looked in the direction he indicated.
They could faintly make out a small, two-story building standing alone in the wilderness.